Disposable dome lids with a drink-through opening that affix to disposable beverage cups have become extremely popular as a means for merchants to provide a wide variety of carry-out hot and cold beverages to the consumer. The many benefits of dome lids have been described in detail within prior art and are well-known to the general public.
All disposable dome lids are designed to grip and seal upon an outwardly projecting bead formed at the lip of disposable cups intended for this purpose. Two methods for attaching disposable dome lids to cups have been described in prior art and are commonly used in practice. The original method provides an annular outwardly projecting groove that snaps into place when pushed over the lip of the cup. Because of the flexibility of the plastic material used in the manufacture of disposable lids, the annular apron at the lid's base is able to momentarily expand while sliding over the bead surrounding the lip of the cup. When in place the annular groove grips the annular bead thereby holding and sealing the lid to the cup. Rather than having an outwardly projecting groove, disposable dome lids employing the newer method of attachment have an inverted annular groove surrounding the lid's base and forming what is referred to as a “plug fit”. When attached, the cup's lip extends into the inverted groove that applies pressure not only to the cup lip's outer edge but to the inner edge as well. The plug fit method, by applying pressure to both sides of the cup's edge, eliminates the possibility of the cup's lip caving inward causing the seal to break. For this reason, the plug fit can be applied to less expensive cups having a weaker sidewall, and in that regard is considered an improvement over the earlier method.
The present invention is set forth suggesting the first method of attachment for illustration purposes, yet it is not the intent of the examples contained herein to preclude one method over the other since all embodiments disclosed herein are applicable to either. The present invention recognizes that both methods are commonly and successfully used commercially.
Regardless of the means for attaching to a cup, disposable drink-through dome lids presented in prior art can be can be grouped into three distinct types: those that provide a comparatively larger drink-through opening by means of a tear-back flap; those that provide a small drink-through opening positioned within a reservoir having a sidewall that aligns with the user's mouth; and those that provide a drink-through opening by means of a small preformed usually elongated opening intended to be enclosed by the user's mouth during consumption.
Each of these three types of drink-through lids has inherent advantages and disadvantages. The fold or tear-back flap permits the beverage to be mostly sealed within the cup while being transported prior to consumption. Additionally, the beverage is consumed in a manner most similar to drinking from a conventional drinking cup. However, once the flap has been opened, the cup cannot be easily moved about without risking spilling its contents. Since no provision is made for retaining the beverage that sloshes out through the opening, this type of disposable lid is not suitable for users wishing to consume their carry-out beverage while traveling. The second type of disposable drink-through lid addresses this problem by providing a reservoir which surrounds the drink-through opening. Beverage that sloshes out through the opening, is contained within the reservoir and eventually drains back into the cup. This feature arrests most spills that might otherwise occur while the cup is vertically placed within a moving vehicle. However, this lid is vulnerable to spills from the moment the beverage passes through the opening and prior to entering the user's mouth. Thus, if the user were to be jostled during that time, as when riding over a bump while sipping the beverage, the exposed contents would likely be ejected into the air resulting in a spill. For this reason, although this type of lid is improved for travel, neither are preferable for beverage consumption in a moving vehicle.
With many consumers on the go, carry-out beverages are more often than not intended to be consumed in moving vehicles. Disposable lids, of the kind that provide a seal between the user's mouth and the drink-through opening, have proven best suited for prevention of spills during consumption while traveling. This is based on the wide-spread acceptance of this type of lid used by take-out establishments. However, there are limitations with this type of drink-through dome lid which are addressed by the present invention. And with the growing consumption of beverages within moving vehicles, the need for these improvements has never been greater. Of greatest concern is the safety to the user behind the steering wheel. Besides the annoyance of soiling one's clothes, the sudden distraction resulting from a spill could result in an automobile accident.
Dome lids that provide means for a seal between the user's mouth and the drink-through opening have a number of concerns, the most important being that the beverage is vulnerable to spilling out through the drink-through opening when a relatively full cup is being jostled about. A second smaller hole is typically placed within the deepest point of a recess provided for the user's upper lip directly behind the drink-through opening so that spilled liquid caught in the recess can drain back into the cup. Even though the drain hole is relatively small, because of its proximity to the drinking hole, liquid having a low viscosity such as coffee can easily dribble out through this hole while the cup is being tilted for consumption. Also, a third equally small hole is recommended to alleviate the vacuum formed by the discharging liquid, but also provides another source for accidental spillage. It should be noted that other patents in related art have described this type of dome lid as having another inherent detriment. They are referring to the need to suck the liquid through the small drink-through opening in order to obtain the desired volume of beverage. However, the widespread acceptance of this type of lid would suggest that the need to suck the beverage from the container is not viewed by the user as an irritant nor a detriment.
The present invention provides improvements to this type of drink-through lid, namely those having a preformed drink-through opening intended to be enclosed by the user's mouth, by providing enhancements that minimize spillage from sloshing and enhancements in the contact between the lid and the user's mouth. With the proliferation of fast-food and carry-out beverage outlets geared to serve busy customers on the go, there is a growing need for a lid that further reduces accidental spills. Prevention of vehicle accidents is of paramount importance and presents a safety concern for the carry-out industry. But particularly annoying is the more frequent occurrence of spills resulting in the soiling of business attire while commuting to work or the soiling of evening attire while riding to an important social outing.